Hand grenade



Jan. 29, 1946. T. MILLER 2,393,861

HAND GRENADE Filed June 10, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Patented Jan. 29, 19462,393,861 HAND GRENADE Tobias Miller, Point Lookout, N. Y. ApplicationJune 10, 1941, Serial No. 397,481

1 Claim. c1. 102-64) This invention relates to hand grenades or othermissiles of a similar character comprising a casing containing anexplosive, incendiary, or gas producing material for the purpose ofexplosion fragmentation, or emission of smoke, flame or gases, Oneobject of my invention is to provide a device of the character abovedescribed with improved means for preventing the premature firingthereof.

Another object of my invention is to provide a device of this characterwith means for preventing the firing of the device'while still in thehand of the user.

Still another object of the invention is to pro- 1 vide a device of thischaracter of such design and construction as to be more readily handledand thrown than the present known and used grenade. I

Still another object of my invention is to provide a device of thischaracter with an improved firing mechanism which will permit thegrenade to' be shipped or stored away when not'in use without danger ofthe firing mechanism accidently setting off the explosive mixturecontained therein.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a device of thischaracter which is light in weight and which can be easily andaccurately thrown by the user in a manner similar to throwing abaseball.

Still another object of the invention resides in the provision of adevice which is simple in construction, comparatively inexpensive tomanufacture and one which will be very efiicient in operation.-

With these and numerous other objects in view, my invention consists inthe novel features of construction, combination and arrangement ofparts, as will be hereinafter referred to and more particularly pointedout in the specification and claim.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a hand grenade embodying my invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical section taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1,showing the position of parts when the device is assembled;

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the upper portion of thegrenade, with parts broken away, and showing the position of parts priorto removal of the safety pin;-

Figure 4 is a similar view showing the position of parts immediatelyafter the grenade has been thrown by the user;

Figure 5 is a horizontal section, with parts broken away, as seen on theline 5-5 of Figure 2; Figure 6 is a vertical section, with parts brokenaway, as seen on the line 6-5 of Figure 2;

Figure 7 is a vertical section, with parts broken away, as seen on theline 1-7 of Figure 3; and Figure-8 is a vertical section with partsbroken away, showing the position of parts when the firing mechanism isbeing assembled.

In describing the invention, I shall refer to the accompanying drawingsin which similar reference characters designate corresponding partsthroughout the several views and in which the numeral 1 designates thecasing or shell of the grenade which is substantially spherical in shapeand which may be made of metal, plastic, pressed paper or any othersuitable material.

The casing l contains a suitable explosive substance such as blankfiring powder 2 which is caused to explode in a manner hereinafter morefully described. Loose strips 3 of metal are placed within the casingintermingled with the powder, which causes a shrapnel effect of thegrenade when the same is exploded.

The casing I has a portion cut therefrom on a plane surface to providean opening through the medium of which the explosive substance isintroduced into the shell. A filling cap 4 fitting over the opening isprovided with an internally threaded bore 5 extending within the casinga distance suificient to permit the threaded bore of the filling cap toengage the externally threaded portion 6 of a cylindrical sleeve 1 whichextends wholly within the casing l. The opposite or lower end portion ofthe sleeve 1 is internally threaded and engages the threaded shankportion 8 of a closing cap 9. The cap 9 extends over an opening formedin the wall of the casing, opposite the filling cap. By this arrangementof parts, the filling cap 4 and the closing cap 9 are effectivelyretained on the casing. Suitable washers l0 and I 0' are interposedbetween the filling and closing caps, respectively, and the wall of thecasing in order to effect a tight connection between these parts.

The firing mechanism for the grenade comprises a friction wire l Iprovided with barbs I! at its lower end, a friction primer compositionl3 of any suitable combustible material formed on the friction wire anda power train I 4 of compressed black powder or any other suitable slowburning. composition.

j Thefriction primer composition and the powder train are containedwholly within a cylinder member l5 which extends within the cylindricalsleeve 1 and the lower end of the cylinder I5 is provided with internalthreads l6 which engage a reduced threaded shank portion ll of theclosing cap 9.

A plurality of openings 58 are provided in the wall of the cylindricalsleeve 1, adjacent the lower portion thereof and a plurality of similaropenings 13 are formed on the same plane in the wall of the cylinder l5.It will be noted that considerably more openings are provided in thewall of the sleeve 1 and of smaller diameter than the openings in thewall of the cylinder l5. For this reason, when the device is assembledandthe cylinder I5 is threaded on the reduced shank portion I! of theclosing cap '9, the openings'in the'wall of the cylinder will always bein registration with some of the openings in the wall of the sleeve,thereby forming a means of communication between the interior of thecylinder and the interior of the casing, externally of the sleeve. asclearly illustrated in Figures 2 and 5 of the drawings.

A paper liner 20 extends between the cylinder l 5 and'the sleeve 1covering the opening IS in the wall of the cylinder thereby retainingthe com pressed black powder I 4 entirely within the cylinder, and alsopreventing the explosive material from intermingling with the compressedblack powder.

The upper portion of the cylinder 15 is reduced in diameter externallyas shown at 2|, forming a shoulder member 22.

A coil spring 23 surrounds the reduced end por tion 2| of the cylinderand the lower end thereof bears against the shoulder 22 while the upperend bears against the under surface of a circular plu 24 which extendsthrough a circularopening 25 provided in the central portion of thefilling cap 4. The plug 24 is riveted or otherwise secured to the innerface of a depressible plate 26 and is provided with a bore 21' extendingdiametrically therethrough. A bore 28, of the same diameter as thediametric bore 27 provided in the plug, extends from one side of thefilling cap to a point adjacent the opposite side thereof. A lockingmember in the form of a pin29 extends in the bore 28 and through thediametric bore 21 of the plug 24. In this manner. the depressible plate26 and plug 24 are'efiectively retained on the filling cap. A handlemember 33, for the locking pin, extends outwardly beyond the wall of thecasing and is bent inwardly and curved to conform to the contour of thecasing, as shown in Figure 1 of the drawings.

The locking pin 29 is reduced centrally as shown at 31 forming shoulders32. The shank portion 3| extends th length of the diametric bore 2! ofthe plug 24 and when the parts are in assembled relation as shown inFigure 2 of the drawings, the coil spring 23, bearing against the undersurface of the plug, urges the same outwardly, thereby causing theshoulders 32 to engage the periphery of the plug at ends of thediametric bore 2'1. In this manner. the locking pin is efi'ectivelylocked in the bore 28 of the filling cap and the diametric bore 21 ofthe plug member and the same cannot be removed therefrom until the plate26 and plug 24 are pressed inwardly a distance sufiicient to align thebore 28 of the filling cap and the diametric bore 21 of the plug, ashown in Fig res 3 and 7 of the drawings, whereupon the shoulders 32will disengage the side of the diametric bore and the locking pin thenbeing free to be removed. A depending flange 33 extends about theperiphery of the depressible plate 26 and the inward movement of saidplate and plug 24 is limited by reason of the flange contacting the topsurface of the filling cap. The innermost movement of the plate andplug, however, will align the bore 28 of the filling cap and thediametric bore 21 of the plug 24, whereupon the locking pin may beremoved.

The filling cap 4 is provided on its upper face with a radial lug 34which is in vertical alignment with the bore 28 and the flange 33 of theplate 26 has a recess 35 formed therein to receive said lug when theparts are in assembled relation, thereby preventing any rotation of thedepressible plate 26 on the filling cap 4. The lug 34 and recess 35 alsoserve as guide means for aligning the bore 28 of the filling cap and thediametric bore 21 0f the plug when the device is being assembled.

The friction wire I2 is slidably retained within I a cup member 36 bymeans of an eye member 36 formed at the outer end of said wire. One endof the cup member engages by threads the under surface of the plug 24 atthe central portion thereof and an opening 31 is provided in theopposite end thereof through which extends the friction wire. A softmetal plug 38 provided with a recess 39 at the upper end thereof isformed on the friction wire and snugly fits within the cylinder l5,thereby forming a, closure for the upper portion of the cylinder andmaintaining the friction primer composition and powder train within saidcylinder.

The cup member 36 is provided at its lower end with a rib member 40which normally projects within the recess 39 of the soft-metal plug. andadapted only to engage the bottom of said recess when the device isbeing assembled, as shown in Figure 8 of the drawings. Thus, thefriction wire and friction primer composition maybe readily placedwithin the cylinder without forcing the friction wire through thefriction primer composition and any premature firing of the renade whenthe same is being assembled is avoided.

The grenade is assembled in the following manner.

The sleeve 1 is first threaded on the shank por tion of the closing cap4. The paper liner 23 is then' inserted in the sleeve 1 and the cylinderl5 containing'the compressed black powder is secured to the reducedshank portion I! of the closing cap. After this has been accomplished, asuitable explosive substance'Z is placed within the casing I along withmaterial to cause a shrapnel efiect such as loose strips 3 of metal.Then, the closing cap 4 is threaded on the upper portion of thesleeve 1. The coil spring 23 is then placed about the upper reducedportion 2| of the cylinder and then the depressible plate 26. plug 24and cup member'36 supporting the friction wire H is assembled in oneunit by forcing the plug member inwardly against the action of the coilspring. The innermost movement of the unit,,however, will align thediametric bore 2? of the plug with the bore 28 ofthe" filling'capwhereupon the locking pin 29 may be inserted therein and the unitpermitted to extend outwardly under the. action of the coil spring,thereby causing the diametric bore 2! of the plug 24 to engage thereduced shank portion 3| of the looking pin. At such time the shoulders32 of the locking pin engage the periphery of the plug at ends of thediametric bore 21', thus effectively locking the firing mechanism withinthe casing and also preventing any accidental removal of the lockingpin.

When the device is to be thrown, it is held in the palm of the hand withthe fingers or thumb over the depressible plate. Then, by depressing theplate until the bores 21 and 28 are aligned, the locking pin may beWithdrawn and the grenade thrown. At the instant it leaves the hand, theplate 26, plug 24 and cup member 36 carrying the friction Wire with thesoft metal plug 38 formed thereon, are forced outwardly of the casing,as shown in Figure 4 of the drawings. This causes the friction wire tobe drawn through the friction primer composition and igniting the samewhich in turn ignites the black powder contained within the cylinder.The removal from the easing of the plate 26, plug 24, together 'With thesoft metal plug formed on the friction wire, permits air to enter thecylinder and provide proper combustion of the black powder. When theblack ments best adapted to perform th functions of the invention, it isapparent that various changes in form, proportion and in the minordetails of construction may be resorted to without departing from thespirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

In a grenade, a casing, an explosive substance within said casing, afilling cap in the wall of said casing, a removable plug mounted in andoperable through said filling cap, means within the casing urging saidplug outwardly and manually removable means for restraining the outwardmovement of said plug, a cylindrical sleeve removably secured to saidfilling cap and communicating with the interior of the casing, acylinder Within said cylindrical sleeve, an inflammable substance withinsaid cylinder, a friction-ignited primer in said cylinder in cooperatingrelation to the inflammable substance and a friction wire carried bysaid removable plug in position for frictional rubbing engagement withsaid primer to ignite the primer and thereby ignite said inflammablesubstance as said plug moves outwardly from the filling cap.

. TOBIAS MILLER.

